Since the late 1950’s, a wealth of archaeological research has shed light on the Bronze Age (third millennium BC) prehistory of southeastern Arabia. Much of the work on the region’s prehistory—known as Magan in Mesopotamian cuneiform texts—has focused on external connections to its better understood neighbors in Mesopotamia, Iran, and the Indus Valley. This talk takes an alternative, local perspective on the archaeology of southeastern Arabia by exploring spatial and material connections across ancient settlements around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bat, in northern Oman.

Eli Dollarhide is an anthropological archeologist who specializes in the prehistory of the Gulf region. He co-directs archeological research at Bat, Oman. As a research fellow at NYUAD, he is continuing excavations in Oman and completing a book on the ancient Bat landscape.

Speakers
Eli Dollarhide, Humanities Research Fellow, NYUAD